So, what does one do to polish horn?
Simple work, if you have a bench grinder set up with a buffing wheel.
Before you do any sanding, put on some breathing protection. Horn dust is said to be bad for you.
Also before sanding, I put painter's tape around the bolster to avoid having to polish it out afterwards, should I accidentally hit the metal with the sandpaper.
Sand off any imperfections, if necessary. I usually start with 150, then 180, 220, stop with something that 3M calls 'Ultrafine'.
If there are serious flaws in the horn, you might have to start with a coarser grit.
You can always skip the sanding and go directly to the wheel, if you think it'll polish up nice without it. You can always go back if you find you're wrong.
Clean off any dust/powder from the handle.
I load the buffing wheel with tripoli compound and just keep going over the handle until I'm satisfied with the result. Rub it clean of compound with a soft cloth every once in a while, to see how it's progressing. Keep buffing until you're tired of doing it, you have the look you want, or dinner's ready.
Clean all the compound off the handle. For the grooves/checkering, I used an old toothbrush. This also has the effect of polishing the bottoms of them a little.
I put a coat or 2 of floor wax on the horn (Johnson's) when I'm done. Provides a really solid grip, especially when the hand gets a little sweaty.
Ted, she was a beauty to begin with. I just removed some of the pancake makeup and dabbed on a little lipstick. Thanks for letting me do it. It was fun.
Kis...you didn't give me a lot to work with there, so I'll just pass.
